Island



May 6, 1930. R. H. LAWSON ET AL 1,757,434

YARN CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 25, 1927 Ratented May 6, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROBERT E. LAWSON, F IPAWTUCKET, AND ARTHUR N. CLOUTIER, OF LONSDALE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNORS TO HMPHILL COMPANY, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHOIDE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS YARN-CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Application filed November 25, 1927. Serial No. 235,427.

This invention relates to means for controlling yarns in knitting machines, and particularly to means for placing tension upon the yarn or yarns which temporarily are out of action.

In order that the principle of the-invention may be readily understood, we have disclosed a single embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a plan view of the latch ring, yarn guides and immediately adjacent parts of a circular knitting machine;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1 looking from the right in said figure; and I v i Fig. 3 is a vertical section upon the line 0f 1s An important object of the invention is to provide means for placing tension, preferably a relatively light tension, upon a knitting yarn-when the yarn guide therefor is rendered temporarily inactive, so that the end of said yarn will be properly engaged bythe binder and heldtherein until said yarnis again brought into action.

Obviously the invention may be applied to various types of knitting machines, whether straight or circular'and whether employing latch needles or spring beard needles, but we have chosen, without limiting the invention,

to illustrate the same as applied to a circular knitting machine, it being obvious that the principle of the invention may be applied to many other types of knitting machines.

In the several figures of the drawing, we have represented at 1 a latch ring or equivalent member of a circular knitting machine, as, for example, of the Banner knitting machine. Upon said latch ring there are oo- 40 guides, here shown as five in number, at 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. In Fig. 3, we have represented one'of said yarn guides, as, for example, the yarn guide 3, as down in feeding position, and the yarn guide 4 as elevated into inactive position. Each of the several yarn guides is provided with a heel, extension or formation, indicated at 7', and the same are respectively engaged by springs indicated at 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. As here shown and axially pivoted at 2 a plurality of yarn.

desirably, the several springs 8-12 are re spectively secured by screws 13 to the latch ring, which latter, as usual, is adapted to be swung out of action. The several springs 8-12 are plate springs, and each of them is backed up by one or more shorter or supplemental springs of like character indicated generally at 1 1 and 15 in Fig. 3. The upper .ends of the several springs 8-12 extend sub- The constructionand relation of parts are i such that, when a yarn finger is thrown down V i into action, as, for example, the yarn finger 3 of Fig. 3, the heel or formation 7 of that yarn finger is swung forward or to the left viewing Fig. 3, as there indicated, so as to permit the spring 8 for that yarn finger to withdraw the bent end 16 from engagement with the pad or tension surface or member 17, thereby releasing the tension upon said yarn simultaneously with the bringing of that yarn into action. The other yarn guides which remained out of action, as well as the yarn guide which may be thrown out of action simultaneously with the bringing of the yarn guide 3 into action, respectively act through their heels or formations 7 to cause their springs 9, 10, etc. to engage by their bent ends 16 the felt or othertension surface or member 17, thereby placing the several inactive yarns under a sufficient tension to cause each of said yarns to be acted upon properly by the cutter and the clamp. Each yarn remains in proper relation with its spring in the operation of the mechanism, each yarn passing through the proper guide eye or opening, some of which are shown in Fig. 3. Said cutter and clamp, which are not here shown, are desirably of the type employed upon the Banner machine, and which are so fpositioned upon the plate within the circle needles near the top thereof a as to engage the inactive yarn or yarns.

The formations or projections 7' act as cams, and the said several springs 8-12 engaging therewith act, when a yarn guide is moved by the usual mechanism toward yarn feeding position, to press that, yarn guide toward feeding position and to hold. it in feeding position, as will be readily apparent, and the same spring will, when that yarn guide-,is elevated into non-feedin position, act to press the withdrawn portlon of the yarn against the tension member or surface 17. Thus each of the springs 8-12 has the double function of tending to press the respective yarn guides into feeding position and to tension the respective yarns when the yarn guides therefor are removed from feedmg position.

Having thus describedone illustrative embodiment of ourinvention, it is to be under" stood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the'following claims.

,Glaims.

y 1. In yarn feeding and tensioning means for knitting machines, a plurality of co-axial- 1y pivoted yarn fingers, each having a camlike projection, a series of springs adapted to'engage said cam-like projections, and a tension member adapted to be engaged by said springs respectively through the action of the I respective cam-like projections, when the corresponding yarn guides are moved into non-feeding position. i

2. In yarn feeding and tensioning means fol-knitting machines,-a plurality of co-axial- 1y pivoted yarn fingers, each having a camlike projection, a series of s rings adapted to engage said cam-like pro ections, and a tension member adapted to be engaged by said springs respectively through the action of the respectivecam-like projections, when the corresponding yarn guides are moved into non-feeding position, said springs also tending to move the yarn guides into feeding position when the yarn guides are swung toward feeding position. 3. A circular knitting tively upon said formations, said springs being respectively prolonged, and a tension member against which the several yarns are adapted to be tensioned by the respective springs through the action of the respective .position to hold the withdrawn the withdrawal of the respective yarn fingers from yarn feeding positlon.

4. In a knitting machine having a. series of yarn guidesadapted to be moved into and out of action, a corresponding series of springs respectively acting upon said yarn guides, so as either to move them toward and hold them in feeding position, or to tension the withdrawn yarn end as the yarn guide therefor is moved from fee'din position, and tension means with which sald springs cooperate to tension the withdrawn yarn ends.

5. In yarn feeding and tensioning means for knitting machines, a movable yarn finger, a spring tending to move said yarn fin er into feeding p0sition,'a tension device, an means whereby said springserves to tension a withdrawn yarn against said tension device.

6. In yarn feeding and tensioning means for knitting machines, a pivoted yarn finger having a pro'ection, a tension device, a spring adapte to bear against said projections and tending to move'said finger into feeding position, said projection'acting when the yarn finger is withdrawn from feeding yarn against the tension device. M

7. In yarn tensioning and feeding means for knitting machines, a plurality of coaxially pivoted yarn fingers, a tension device, a series of springs, one for each yarn finger, and means whereby said springs tend to hold from action, hold thewithdrawn Y the yarn fingers respectively 1n feeding position and, when a yarn finger is withdrawn 8 In yarn tensioning and feeding means for knitting machines, a plurality of yarn fingers co-axially pivoted and adaptedto be swung down into or up out of feeding relation, a tension device for withdrawn yarns located above .said yarn fingers, and springs respectively engaging said yarn fingers and adapted to be moved by the yarn fingers'respectively when a yarn finger is thrown out of action. to' hold the wit drawn yarn for that finger against the tension device.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification.

ROBERT E. LAWSON. ARTHUR N. CLOUTIER.

machine having latch ring, a series of yarn fingers co-axially cam-like projections, simultaneously with 

